As sales of the iconic Aga continue to rise, The Telegraph rounds up the
classic homeware and modern gadgetry that no middle class kitchen can be
without

The British company behind the Aga has reported a rise in UK sales for their £10,000 cast-iron cooker due in part to the booming house market. There is, though, another reason; that ineffable desire to keep up with Joneses, especially when it comes to furnishing the kitchen.

The Aga rangemaster, loved by those who own them as the heart and soul of the family home and hated by those who don’t as gas-guzzling eco-killers, has become the ultimate middle class status symbol. But it is not the only brand that has become a staple of bourgeoisie scullery.

Its Warwickshire-based manufacturer has reported a 9.7pc rise in UK sales in the first half of 2014 and a £60m jump in operating profits.

Their renewed success may have a lot to do with their popularity amongst TV chefs, from whom the British public take more than just recipes.

Have Nigella swirl your spoon, Jamie wazz it up in your blender or, in this case, Mary Berry bake a cake in your Aga and the middle classes will be rushing to John Lewis, shopping list in hand.

:: Le Creuset pans

While the Aga's popularity waned for several years before re-emerging as a middle class beacon, Le Creuset's following has been bubbling away in the background like a well-cooked casserole for decades.

Continuing the trend for cast iron, the French cookware's range of pans and oven dishes have been a firm favourite since its trademark orange, heavy-bottomed pot arrived in the UK in 1961.

The first order was placed through Selfridges - of course - and sparked a love affair with European kitchenware that's lasted more than 50 years.

:: Bialetti espresso maker

Enter Bialetti, makers of the Italian heat-on-the-hob espresso maker.

The Moka express, which can be seen and smelt on a Sunday morning atop the Aga of any self-respecting home owner, began life in 1933 and has remained unchanged ever since.

So iconic has the Bialetti become that a version has been displayed at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the London Science Museum.

:: Samsung double-door fridge

The rise of the American two-doored, water-dispensing super fridge stands in stark contrast to the European traditions that have gone before.

These mammoth cool boxes may have become popular in Britain through a combination of MTV's Cribs, an episode of which revolves entirely around the chosen celebrity's fridge, and Ocado, the online supermarket that makes it too easy to fill your gigantic Samsung to bursting point.

:: Villeroy and Boch crockery

The German porcelain designer is the oldest company on our list of all things middle class, starting out in a French village in 1748.

More than 250 years later, the company employs up to 7,500 people to ensure V&B watermarked plates furnish thousands of UK dinner parties.

:: Abel and Cole organic fruit and vegetables

Like Ocado, Abel and Cole are an online food company distributing veg directly into the Samsung fridges of Britain without the hassle of a trip to the farmers' market.

According to their website, the organics delivery firm began life in Catford with bags of potatoes, when founder Keith asked whether foodies would "buy spuds from a posh git with a suntan".

Turns out they will; the company's sales grew by a third from 2012 to 2013.

:: Kilner jars

Jamming has always been a favourite hobby of the middle classes and the humble kilner jar has become the vessel of choice.

They were first created in the 1840s by John Kilner and, according to the firm, were perfected over the intervening 150 years to offer a "unique vacuum feature helping households all over the country to successfully preserve and pickle fruit and vegetables".

:: Kitchenaid mixer

The Kitchenaid mixer - like the super fridge - is an American export that has developed a cult-like following in Britain.

Standing in firm opposition to magimix users, the kitchenaid army fell in love with the appliance for its chunky, quality feel and superior bread-kneading abilties.

Great British Bake Off may once again have questions to answer when it comes to middle class kitchen trends as the £400-plus mixers are regularly featured on the show.

:: Belfast sink

The kitchen sink seems an unlikely place to splash out in the name of keeping up with appearances, but the so-called 'Belfast' iteration has become the only sink worth having in Britain.

Also known as a 'butler's sink', they are traditionally deep, rectangular and are installed with one ceramic panel visible in the work station. How else are the Joneses to know you have one?

:: Maldon sea salt

Food trends come and go, but when it comes to seasoning no middle class kitchen can last for long without a box of Maldon sea salt.

"It's salt as it should be," the company explains, "hand-harvested with the distinctive flaky texture and taste that lends a certain piquancy to virtually any dish."